Chilled Chocolate and Bourbon Cappuccinos

When I hear 'cappuccino' I usually think of a nice hot drink. Perhaps this is because it's currently about -10 degree's out and is barely making it past zero even at 1:00 in the afternoon. Space heaters, fireplaces and hot drinks are a must for the next few months! However we have friends and relatives in warmer climates that could thoroughly enjoy a nice cold cappuccino and especially might enjoy this one made with a splash of bourbon.



Chilled Chocolate and Bourbon Cappuccinos

2 cups hot brewed coffee
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups 2% low-fat chocolate milk
2 tablespoons bourbon

Combine coffee and brown sugar, stirring until brown sugar dissolves. Stir in low-fat chocolate milk and bourbon; cover and chill. An idea to serve to guests; dip rims of 4 stemmed glasses in water and then in sugar to coat rims. Pour 1 cup cappuccino into each glass.

Rosemary Garlic Shrimp

There are a few questions that are ever popular when getting to know someone, one of which is "What's your favorite food?" The trouble with that one is that I've never had an answer! I over think things.

Does it have to be a particular way of preparing it? Can it be a food class instead of one particular item? Can I list my top three instead? Because one of my favorite foods are onions but I like them prepared all different ways. If I was to choose my favorite most versatile food it would be cream cheese. I love it prepared a hundred different ways! But if I had to choose a favorite food 'group' in general it would be... seafood! I would gladly live on seafood if I could afford it. I'm sure I'd crave chicken, pork chops, a grilled rib-eye every once in a while, but my love for seafood of all sorts run deep and I'd have to have it so very often before I'd grow tired of it.

In honor of shrimp and sunny days (unlike the -10 degree's we currently have here outside my window) I give you a recipe from an old issue of Southern Living - back around 2003 or 2004. Of course people have been making it for years and years prior, but they copied it to one of their issues that Spring as well.


Rosemary Garlic Shrimp

3 pounds unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic bulb
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 dried red chile peppers
3 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on; set aside.

Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Separate and peel garlic cloves. Add to butter mixture, and sauté 2 minutes.

Stir in dry white wine and next 8 ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced by half and thoroughly heated.

Add half of shrimp. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink; remove with a slotted spoon. Cook remaining shrimp 5 to 6 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Serve with warm broth.

New York Cheesecake with Natural Sweeteners and Almond Flour

When it comes to low-carbing I wonder if the first dessert that almost everyone makes is... cheesecake. Truly though, when you are supposed to be eating low carb how can you resist making cheesecake when you know it's completely allowed and yet so completely delicious?

I have more cheesecake recipes in my files than I can shake a stick at (where did that phrase ever come from anyway?) and the interesting thing is that they are all so very similar yet can taste different with just the simple addition or deletion of one item. This one uses almond flour for the crust and uses sour cream in the filling.


New York Style Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups almond flour
6 Tbsp sweetener
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sweetner
3 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
16 ounces sour cream

Mix sweetener(s) and almond flour with melted butter; press onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside while mixing filling. Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, keeping the mixer on a low setting throughout the beating and mixing process. Add your sweeteners a little at a time and continue beating until creamy. Add one egg at a time and beat very briefly after each egg. When eggs have been mixed into the cream cheese add vanilla and mix briefly, just until combined. Add the sour cream last and beat briefly.

Pour cream cheese mixture into the springform pan. Bake at 325° (300° for dark, nonstick pan) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check before an hour is up and if it's getting brown, turn oven off and begin the next step. When time is up, prop open oven door, turn off the heat and leave in oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove from oven. Cool to room temperature then chill 24 hours before serving.

Homemade Limeade

Years ago I used to go to the library and spend hours hand writing recipes from magazines and books. After a few years I would make printed copies. Now it's so wonderful to have recipes at my finger tips in seconds - like this simple syrup to make homemade Limeade. Originally I had a recipe just like for lemonade - you can use this one for that as well if you use 1 1/2 c lemon juice instead of lime.

Homemade Limeade

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice (about 6 to 8 large limes)*
5 cups cold water
Garnish: fresh lime slices

Stir together sugar and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until sugar mixture reaches syrup consistency. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in juice and 5 cups cold water. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.

I'm Back!

I'm back!

Thanks for your patience over the last two days that I was incapacitated due to a very naughty cat with a penchant for chewing electrical cords. Her latest conquest happened to have been my laptop power cord. My two cats have their personality quirks... one of which is a head-butter and the other is a chewer but both are still loveable!